Dead And Gone
by Applegirl3223
Summary: Sixteen years. Thats how long Minato thought his son was dead. So what exactly does a guy who's lost his wife and thinks he's lost his son do for sixteen years? Well if you read you'll find out...
1. Chapter 1

Summary- so Naruto's dad didnt die the day he sealed the fox inside of him, instead for some reason he was transported out of the village. this is basically what happens after that. the lyrics i thought fit the story, its from the song "Dead and gone" by T.I. and Justin Timberlake. its a pretty good song. i suggest you listen to the whole thing or even the whole cd of Paper Trail. :) a final note is that it will be mentioned that naruto died after the fox was put in him. that was a rumor since there was so much chaos in the aftermath.

** I've been travellin' on this road too long (too long)  
Just tryna find my way back home (back home)  
The old me is dead and gone, dead and gone  
And ohhhh (eyyy)  
I've been travellin' on this road too long (too long)  
Just tryna find my way back home (back home)  
The old me is dead and gone, dead and gone, dead and gone**

A blond haired man lay on his back in the middle of a forest, not quite sure how he had gotten there. He sat up and managed to crawl to the small stream next to him. He was dirty and had cuts in different places. He inspected the rest of his body. He didn't feel any serious injury. His clothes were torn. Coming to the decision that he was ok, he laid back down and feel asleep.

Three hours later the man had made his way to a small village. The sky had darkened and he was tired. Finding a bar, he went inside and sat at a table to himself. At the table next to him two guys were talking. It wasn't like he was trying to eavesdrop but since it was quiet where he was sitting he could easily hear what they were saying.

"I cant believe it" One was saying while drinking his sake "I'd heard rumors about the demon fox but never heard of anything like this"

"Me neither" His friend agreed

"How much of the village was destroyed?"

"Almost half, there were a few deaths too"

"Is it true about what their Hokage did?"

"Yeah, sealed the creature in his own newborn son"

"His wife let him?!"

"She had died giving birth to the baby"

"And their Hokage died too"

"Konoha's Yellow Flash, I heard he was the best anywhere"

"I hope the kid's regarded as a hero. I couldn't imagine putting something like that in one of my daughters. That man had guts. He really cared about his village"

"The kid died, what are you talking about?"

"What?! Are you sure?!"

"Yeah" He snorted "I would know. My brother and his wife live there. Their house got destroyed. They said the kid died shortly after the fox was put in him"

"But wouldn't that release it?"

"No, it died with the baby"

"Wow. A whole family gone just like that". The sound of a glass cracking brought them out of conversation. They turned to the blond man not sitting to far off. His hand was around a broken glass and was bleeding.

"Hey buddy, you ok?" One of the guys asked genuinely concerned. The man was silent. Tears ran down his face. The two men looked at each other then the one stood and shouted at the bartender/owner. "Hey Suzuki! We're takin off"

"Ok, see ya guys later". The men walked over to the blonde and helped him up

"What are you doing?" He asked

"There's no way we're leavin you here in this condition. Idiots usually come in here at night. They'll definitely mess with you"

"I can take of myself"

"That's why you look like this?" Each went on one side. They didn't want to leave him in the bar when some of the wilder crowd came in.

* * *

A week had passed since the men had found the blond stranger. They were staying in the small village for a few more days then they would be headed out of the Land of Fire. They had talked endlessly of what to do about their new friend. He was mostly silent and seemed to be depressed. Currently they were in the kitchen discussing him.

"Dai, I dont understand" One said while cutting vegetables for a soup "He's told us nothing except his wife left him and took their child"

"Well that would upset anyone with a caring heart" Dai answered. He was sitting on a counter eating an apple. "Keiji he's obviously depressed". Keiji ran a hand through unruly brown hair. He and his friend were shinobi from the Land of Earth though they didn't wear the country's symbol. The Earth country was more secretive than most.

"We cant leave him, not like this" Dai finished his apple and looked up at the ceiling

"But we cant take him with us to Iwagakure"

"You dont have to" A voice answered from the doorway. They turned to see the blond man standing there. "Just take me to the capital city"

"You've been there before?" Keiji asked.

"Family is originally from there"

"Good because they have people who patrol the border. They dont just let anyone in. It'll be better that you're from there. By the way we never got your name"

"Minato" He answered.

A couple of days later the trio was making their way through to the Earth country. Minato had kept silent for most of the trip. He was grateful that his companions hadn't pushed him for more information, they gave him space. In fact he was happy just by the fact they didn't know who he was, not that he expected them to. As shinobi for the Earth country they traveled through many areas. They didn't make it a point however to go to the hidden villages. Their country preferred secrecy. Though Dai's brother lived in Konoha, neither Dai nor Keiji had actually seen the fourth Hokage or even knew his name. Minato began to relax just a little bit. Dai and Keiji were talking about how they couldnt wait to get home. Minato didnt even want to think that far ahead.

"Hey whats your last name? You remind me of this guy I met" Keiji said

"Namikaze"

"Really?!" Both said in surprise

"Your Dad is that famous candy maker" Dai grinned. Minato nodded. His father had been a Earth shinobi for many years but eventually retired from that and pursued his dream of opening a candy shop. It became known throughout the country. Even a couple of members from the royal family went there.

"You think he'll give us some?" Dai asked hopefully. The blond man smiled for the first time since losing his son and wife.

"Yeah, probably"

"Great!"

"You're such a little kid" Keiji rolled his eyes. The two started bickering. Minato sighed. Facing his family was going to be the hardest thing, he'd have to re-live everything all over again. He stopped when he saw a baby fox in the middle of the road. It looked lost. Just as he was about to reach out to it, its mother appeared and gently picked it up in her mouth. She glanced at Minato before darting into the forest. He smiled a second time.


	2. Chapter 2

It took almost a week to reach the border of the Earth country. Once the shinobi guarding the border checked the group out, they were allowed to travel farther. It took another couple of days to reach the capital city. Large, open gates greeted them with people going in and out. A large, beautiful flower decorated the gate.

"Hanabira" Dai said in awe. The flower was the symbol of the royal family so the city was called Hanabira or Hana for short, though that was a nickname. Most people couldn't remember the original name since not many used it. It was rumored to be very lovely and was the second most populous behind only the hidden village, Iwagure. Keiji snapped out of his trance and turned to Minato

"Hey, we gotta get to the hidden village before tomorrow night so we should probably get going"

"Yeah" Dai nodded in agreement.

"Thank you for all your help" The blond shook hands with both of them.

"No problem, I'm sure we'll come back through here again. Good luck" Keiji said before taking off.

"See ya Minato" Dai waved and went after his friend. Minato stood there for a few minutes longer then went inside. The village was alive with activity. It took him a second to get used to it again. He'd forgotten how busy it was. A couple of people bumped into him but he kept moving. After an hour or so of walking around he decided he couldn't put going home off anymore. He made his way a residential area. It was much quieter. In the distance he could see the outline of the palace. He stopped at a medium sized house with a large tree in the front. Minato began to hesitate, slowly backing up. He couldn't do it.

"Minato?" A voice squeaked off to the side. He turned to see his twelve year old sister watching him. Her short blond hair was pulled back into two ponytails. She was slightly tanner than the last time he'd seen her. She wore a long sleeved shirt with a short skirt and leggings underneath. A bandanna with the Earth symbol was tied around her arm. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes.

"Sky" He whispered. When she was born, she had abnormal clear, blue eyes. Those same eyes were watching him, slightly confused. Naruto was not a mirror image of his mother or his father, both parents had agreed that he looked just like Sky. Seeing her brought unwanted memories back.

"Whats wrong? Shouldn't you be with your wife and the baby?" Sky had always admired her big brother and didn't understand why he was acting so strange or why he looked so tired. He hadn't really shaved. His clothes seemed a little big, actually he looked like he'd lost weight. He was starting to scare her. When he began to cry, alarm bells went off in her head. Rushing over, she knelt in front of him and hugged him.

"Minato whats wrong?"

"They're dead"

* * *

An hour later Minato was sleeping in his old bedroom while Sky, her father and mother were in the kitchen. Sky sat at the table, absentmindedly stirring her spoon in her bowl of soup. Masaru Namikaze sat at the end going over his candy shop's inventory. He held the pen he was using up to his chin thoughtfully. Masaru was considered a living legend. He had brown hair with gray streaks running through it. His hazel eyes missed nothing even when it seemed he wasn't paying attention. A scar ran along his right cheek, forever reminding him of whet he used to be. His left ear was pierced, not something you'd normally see on a man his age but had always had his ear pierced and had no intention of letting it go just because he was getting older. In fact many of the younger shinobi got their ears pierced too so they could be like him. If you didn't know him, he could seem cold and uncaring but in reality he was a very loving person who was now worried about his only son. Over by the stove Masaru's wife, Sachiko, stood cooking. Her long blond hair was piled on her head to keep it out of her way. She was slightly round but didn't mind it, especially since her husband loved it. Sachiko was a very confident woman which at times could be mistaken for cockiness. Though she had no formal shinobi training, she did possess insane amounts of chakra which she could control very well. She added a little more seasoning to the pot while humming. She had been on her way to the grocery store when she'd seen Minato crying on his sister. Immediately she'd gone into action, getting him inside and on a bed to rest. Masaru hadn't said anything when he'd seen his wife and daughter bring him in but now he wanted to know what was going on. He wasn't a very patient man. Slamming his fist on the table he said

"So what's going on Koko?" Koko was his nickname for his wife. She continued cooking.

"Dramatics aren't going to get an answer any faster out of me"

"You were back there with him for at least fifteen minutes"

"He told me Kushina and the baby are dead" Sky piped up still playing with her soup. Sachiko nodded.

"What?! How did this happen?! We were supposed to go down there next week to visit!" Masaru clenched his pen "I'll kill whoever did this!"

"Dear calm down" His wife said "You remember that mission she was on some months back before she found out she was pregnant?"

"Yes, she fought some shinobi. The battle put her in the hospital for at least a week"

"Then you should also remember that the doctors said she'd never fully recover from it. Having any children in the future could kill her"

"But Konoha has amazing doctors. I never thought…"

"None of us did. Minato said the doctors tried to get her to terminate the baby but she refused. They named him Naruto and according to him, the baby looked just like you Sky"

"Me?" Her voice was a little high pitched

"Yes"

"Ok Kushina died giving birth but what about our grandson? Did he die too?" Masaru asked.

"No, in a cruel twist of fate the nine tailed fox attacked the village" Sky gasped "Minato sealed it inside of his son but something happened in which he was transported out of the village. He found out later that Naruto had died too" Sachiko allowed a few tears to fall before wiping them away. They had all loved Kushina and now she was gone, so was Naruto.

"But…" Masaru was having a hard time accepting this "Minato"

"Maybe its for the best that his son didn't survive"

"MOM!" Sky dropped her spoon

"Think about it sweetie" Sachiko was always the more logical one out of the family "If he'd survived who knows the things he'd go through. Just because Minato is his father doesn't mean the villagers would accept him. Masaru you've seen it happen before. You'd help someone only for them to be ungrateful in the end and treat you bad"

"You may have a point but still…"

"I know, I know. I try to see the good in different things but right now I'm having a hard time" She started to sob. Her husband got up and hugged her. Sky crept away to her brother's room. When he was gone she'd always play in it. In fact some of her own clothes were on the floor. She walked silently over to his bed. Minato was tossing and turning and mumbling incoherently. Sky climbed onto the bed and laid next to him, wrapping her arms around him she hummed softly. He gradually relaxed and started to sleep peacefully. She didn't know how long she stayed like that but eventually the sun began to set.

"Is he ok?" A woman asked walking over to the other side. Kaya was the oldest sibling. With long, brown hair and a thing for having pierced ears, she resembled Masaru but had more of her mother's personality. Her hair fell around her shoulders. Large earrings in the shape of a half moon, hung in her ears. She was pale since she preferred to stay indoors. She wore an orange summer dress that made her look younger. Kaya also had the names of her parents and siblings tattooed down one of her arms. Down the other she had her new husband's name and Kushina's, the two had become very good friends. Sky could see her makeup running so she said

"Mom told you?"

"Yeah" Kaya laid down on the other side, getting as close to her brother as she could. The girls didn't say anymore as each tried to sleep, thinking that maybe all this was just a bad dream.

* * *

The next morning found the whole family, except Masaru who had to leave for work, at the kitchen table for breakfast. Sachiko and her daughters kept passing worried glanes to Minato who was simply staring out a window. The matriarch of the family cleared her throat before saying

"Dear when do you intend to retrieve…your wife and son? We can bury them in the Namikaze cemetery"

"I'm not going back there" He answered curtly. Kaya and Sky looked at each other then their mother who was taken aback.

"But Minato, don't you want to have a ceremony of sorts for them? We cant leave them in Konoha. If you want, your father and I can go…"

"No" He cut her off. Her cheeks puffed out in irritation. She understood he was grieving but shouldn't he want to have them where he is? She started to say just that but Sky opened her mouth before she could

"Minato walk me to class!" She jumped up from the table, kissed her Mom on the cheek and made for the door. Sachiko watched her son follow. Kaya rose too and said before she left

"Give him time Mom".

The three made their way to Sky's academy. She skipped happily ahead while Kaya and Minato walked together, neither saying anything. Finally they reached a large old building with many kids waiting outside. All eyes turned to stare at Minato. The kids whispered excitedly while the parents who knew him waved. He gave a half hearted wave back. The doors to the building opened and all the students began to go inside. Sky ran back to her brother and sister, giving them a hug before racing inside. Minato didn't miss the mean glares and envious looks his sister received by her classmates.

"She has only one friend" Kaya stated as they started to walk back

"Why? She used to have lots of friends when she was little"

"They abandoned her when she became known as the Hanabira prodigy. Her old 'friends' became jealous, especially since she is a Namikaze". Minato frowned

"You wouldn't know it by how she acts"

"Yeah, I only found out because I happened to see some of those evil looks a few weeks ago. She wouldn't tell me outright so I had to ask her friend"

"So she's hated because she's good?". Kaya nodded "I wish I could deal with it instead for her" He clenched his fists

"Me too" After a pause she said "Lets go to Dad's shop"

'Sweet Dreams' was what Masaru had allowed his wife to name his shop. It sat in between a restaurant and antiques store which was a fairly good spot since the restaurant was named one of the best in the country. Many who went there ended up going next door. Inside the shop it was painted dark blue with a moon painted on the ceiling along with stars. Masaru had chairs and tables specially made in the shape of clouds. Minato had thought he'd lost his mind back then but the shop had become very popular. When they entered it was full of people even though plenty of them should've been at work. Though Masaru specialized in candy, he also made other sweets like cupcakes. Kaya and Minato took a small table near the window. He watched as his father's employees tried to keep up with the crowd.

"Its worse around lunch" Kaya stated "Minato …"

"What?" He turned to her

"Do you really want to just act like nothing's happened? You don't want to talk about it?". He frowned before turning his attention out the window. Since he could remember he always could talk to Kaya whenever something was wrong.

"It just feels unreal. One minute I have Kushina and my newborn son, the next she's dead and I'm trying to seal the demon inside my child" He put a hand over his face "What was I thinking?"

"Why did the fox attack?"

"I have no idea, I mean we've had problems with it before but not like this. Naruto…I killed my son"

"You don't know that!"

"Putting something that powerful in him killed him. I know it Kaya"

"No you don't so don't start blaming yourself, is this why you don't want to go to Konoha?"

"Part of it"

"Hey you two! Come over here and help!" Masaru yelled from behind the counter. Kaya rolled her eyes. They used to work in the shop when they were younger and needed extra money.

"This conversation is not over" She said sternly. He nodded. They rose to go help their father.


	3. Chapter 3

Minato sat under a fairly large tree watching the people go by. He had been in his hometown a month. Slowly (very slowly) his pain eased but he knew it would never go away fully. He'd never forgive himself for what he'd done to Naruto. The blond stretched and stood when a small blur ran into him. He stumbled back a few steps before catching himself. He looked down to see a scruffy little boy no more than six sitting on the ground, rubbing his head.

"Are you ok?" Minato knelt in front of him.

"Im fine but you shouldn't have been in the way!" He snapped then looked up. His eyes widened as he jumped up excitedly. "Are you a Namikaze?"

"Yes, why?" He wasn't surprised seeing as most of the village knew who his family was.

"This is great! You gotta train me"

"Very funny but I don't do that anymore" He prepared to walk away but the very determined boy darted in front of him.

"I ORDER you to train me!" . Minato raised an eyebrow

"You order me?"

"Yes!"

"Whats your name?"

"Toru"

"Well Toru you don't want to be a ninja"

"Yes I do"

"There will be times you face hard choices, impossible situations and even death" He expected the boy to pale at that but he didn't. Instead he narrowed his eyes and stated

"I know exactly what can happen. My mom's side is full of ninjas. We go to a funeral every few months it seems but I want to help my people. So train me!". To say Minato was surprised would be an understatement. He'd never seen such determination and maturity in such a young child. He relaxed and ruffled Toru's hair.

"Alright fine, be here tomorrow morning around eight". Toru grinned

"I will!" He ran off excitedly. Minato sighed, stuffed his hands in his pockets and headed home.

Sachiko was taking care of her garden when he returned. She pulled her hat off and held a hand out for him to help her to her feet. Once up she dusted herself off.

"How are you?" She asked.

"You ask me that everyday and I always give the same answer"

"Humor me"

"I'll live"

"Will you?" She gave him a motherly look.

"I took on a student today" He said changing the subject.

"Whats their name?"

"Toru"

"Toru…why that's…"

"Minato!" Sky shouted happily as she attached herself to her brother's legs. He grinned and picked her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"What are you so excited about?" Their mother asked as she knelt down to continue her weeding.

"My teacher wants to put me in more advanced classes"

"That's good"

"No its not, I wont be with Rain anymore"

"Wait a minute, your name's Sky and her's is Rain?" Minato laughed softly.

"Shut up" Sky hit him on the back of the head "We already get enough jokes about it" She let go of him and allowed her feet to touch the ground. "Can you train her?"

"No way little sister. I already took on one crazy student today"

"But you gotta. If she can improve just a little, my teacher said he'd allow her in the same ones as me! She's already good, she just needs to polish her skills. Minato you have to do this!"

"Im tired of being bossed around by kids" he groaned "Fine tell her to meet me at the large tree near Dad's shop tomorrow"

"Yes! Thank you! Im gonna go tell her right now!" She bolted off down the street.

"That was sweet of you dear" Mrs. Namikaze said.

"If you say so"

"There you are!" Masaru Namikaze suddenly appeared in front of Minato. "You were supposed to have been at the shop and hour ago!"

"Ummmm….sorry?". Masaru grabbed his son by the collar and yelled to his wife "We'll be back by dinner before taking off. Sachiko simply shook her head and continued weeding.

The next morning under the tree sat Toru. His hair was still scruffy as were his clothes. He sat crossed legged, with arms crossed too and eyes closed. Every few seconds his eye twitched in anger. Finally he opened them and looked at his watch.

"Its eight-fifteen! Where is he?!"

"Im sure he'll be here soon" Said a quiet female voice from behind him. He nearly jumped out of his skin before turning around to see a dark haired girl sitting behind him. She wore black pants and an oversized long sleeved white shirt. Her long hair was tied back with a ribbon.

"Who are you?!"

"Rain" She bowed her head slightly. He relaxed a little

"Im Toru"

"Nice to meet you"

"How long have you been here?"

"Since you arrived"

"Impossible! I would've noticed you!"

"I wouldn't be a very good ninja if you had"

"You're a ninja?" For the first time he noticed the headband tied around her leg.

"Oh look, I think that's Minato-sensei". Toru followed her gaze. Sure enough the blond was approaching, looking very much like he'd just gotten out of bed. When he reached them Toru pounced

"Where have you been?! Its almost eight thirty!"

"Calm down kid, I forgot to set my alarm clock"

"Liar!". Minato smiled

"Well Im here now, are you two ready to begin?" They nodded. "Follow me". Fifteen minutes later the three were in a large, abandoned warehouse. Toru and Rain took in the scene. There was dust everywhere. Old crates sat off to the side. Light barely streamed in through the grimy windows. Toru sneezed

"Why are we here?" He rubbed his nose

"Hidden away somewhere in here is a kitten, find it and we can move on"

"WHAT?! Are you serious?" Toru's head almost exploded from anger. Rain giggled.

"This will teach teamwork, a skill which you will definitely need" He explained.

"Where will you be?"

"Around" Minato answered vaguely "And you might want to hurry, the kitten will be hungry soon" With a wave he disappeared.

An hour or so later Sky found her brother half sleep under the tree. She looked around then lifted her foot to kick him but he caught it. Cracking an eye open he yawned.

"Where's Rain?" She asked

"Doing an assignment" . Sky narrowed her blue eyes and pulled her foot out of his grasp

"What did you do?"

"I hid a kitten in a warehouse and told them to find it"

"Animal cruelty!"

"But its a stuffed animal which will make it harder to find"

"Thats mean! Who knows how long that'll take?!"

"Exactly"

"I cant believe you're my brother sometimes" She stomped away. Minato simply went back to sleep. Twenty minutes later he awoke to an irate Toru standing in front of him, arms crossed. Rain stood next to him and had her arms cradled as if she were holding something.

"What? Did you find it?"

"No" Toru snapped

"Then what are you doing here?"

"As we searched, we talked. How could anyone hide a poor, hungry kitten in a big warehouse. Thats when we decided it wasnt real. That and the fact we didnt hear it making any noises and it seemed unlikely that it would stay hidden in one place"

"No way you're only six" Minato sat up and poked him

"Cut it out! Im just abnormally mature for my age"

"What about you Rain?"

"Well I suggested we get you a present to show how grateful we are" She opened her arms to reveal a small black kitten with white paws. She placed it on his head. The kitten purred and snuggled into his hair. He looked over his students and made an important revelation: he was stuck with them.

* * *

It had been a week since Minato had taken on his students. Rain was greatly improving the skills she already had while Toru was making remarkable progress. Minato was currently having Toru practice controlling his chakra, something he was having much trouble with. Since Rain already knew how to control hers she was helping him though he kept snapping at her to leave him alone. Minato sat on a tree branch watching with Paws the kitten (Rain had named him) nestled in his hair. Suddenly three men appeared. He jumped down and stood in between them and his students. Paws hissed. They were dressed in all white ninja attire and had the lower half of their faces covered. An intricate design of a flower went down a pants leg on each. Minato knew the same design would be tattooed somewhere on their body since they protected the royal family. Everyone knew who they were. What he didnt know however was why they were there.

"Can I help you gentlemen?" He asked calmly.

"Namikaze Minato, I heard you were back" One of the men with brown hair and piercing green eyes stepped forward.

"Ichiro, its been awhile" the two had been teammates once.

"I'd love to stay and talk but right now we need..."

"Im not going!" Toru stepped out from behind his teacher

"They didnt come for you" Minato said

"Oh but we did" Ichiro replied. The men bowed

"Prince Toru you need to return home"

"Prince?!" The blond man's eyes widened

"Yes, he is heir to the throne"  
"I thought you knew sensei" Rain spoke up

"You knew?"

"Uh huh, I've met the royal family several times"

"They wanna make me take lessons from some old bimbo but I wont!" Toru stomped his foot for emphasis.

"Your highness, your father would prefer it"

"No! How can I learn to protect my people by learning to play instruments and only talking to nobility?" He attached himself to Minato's leg "He's my sensei" Then stuck out his tongue. Ichiro exchanged looks with his men before bowing once more and leaving.

"I still cant get over it, Prince Toru..." Minato mumbled

"Sensei?" Rain squeaked

"What?"

"We should go get some food for Paws. He hasnt eaten all day"

"Who cares about that stupid cat?!" Toru huffed. His only warning was a hiss as Paws jumped from Minato and attached himself to Toru's face. He ran around screaming.

"Should we help?" Rain asked

"Maybe in a few minutes" He put an arm around her as the two walked away leaving Toru with a very angry kitten.


End file.
